Iran Wants To Arrest Donald Trump Over General Qasem Soleimani Death In Baghdad

Iran has issued arrest warrants against 36 individuals, including the president of the United States Donald Trump, over the killing of General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps.

What Happened

Ali Alqasi Mehr, Attorney General of Tehran, said that Trump would be prosecuted after his term ends, reported CNN.

Iran is also asking Interpol to issue a Red Notice for the individuals. Such notice is a global law enforcement request issued by the agency to arrest fugitives pending extradition. 

Interpol told CNN that it “would not consider requests of this nature,” as it was not according to the agency’s constitution, which prohibits any military, political or racial intervention. 

The U.S. is calling Iran’s move a “political stunt” with U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook saying, “this has nothing to do with national security, international peace or promoting stability, so we see it for what it is -- it's a propaganda stunt that no one takes seriously and makes the Iranians look foolish.”

Why It Matters

Soleimani died in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, near the city’s international airport in January, along with five others that included Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, reported CNN.

The death of the Iranian general is being deemed an assassination by Iran. An Iranian citizen has already been sentenced to death for allegedly collaborating with foreign intelligence and disclosing Soleimani’s location to U.S. officials. 

The Pentagon blamed Soleimani for the deaths of hundreds of Americans as well as U.S. allies. 

Image: the White House